BY DJ BAKER
10) Ziggy - Tell Me (19 Wks, Pk #01)
Single:
Notes: Ziggy is a regular with her pop jams! With swag in hand, Ziggy lights up every track she’s on, and scored her 6th number #1 track. She ties with Siya & Young MA for the most #1’s by all female rappers. She tours the country & performs in clubs & events most of the year. With a new album scheduled to be released by the end of year, Ziggy not only has taken over America but has taken over the UK. 2017 promises to be another year of Top 40 hits for Miss Ziggy.
09) Bry'nt - Las Vegas (20 Wks, Pk #01)
Album: Brynt Park
Notes: Bry’Nt continues to soar with his 2nd #1 hit track Las Vegas. His laid back flow & harmonizing hooks took over the Summer Charts in 2016. Bry’nt was hot off his Off Broadway performance in B-Boy Blues at the Apollo Theatre, and he is still a main character on the very successful web series Finding Me: The Series. Bry’nt stays on magazine covers & was recently highlighted by Soul-LGBT blog. Bry’nt is also a fixture on fashion show runways.
08) Ether L Banks - Not Everyday Thing (21 Wks, Pk #01)
Album: Blvk x Purple
Notes: Ether L Banks is the only UK lyricist/rapper to have 2 number ones. Ether L Banks, with major bars on social conscious, rivals any US rapper; she has the most Top 10 tracks by a UK artist, and is represented on the LGBT Urban Charts each week of 2016. Ether L Banks releases new music on a monthly basis. Follow her Purplelightdistrict soundcloud account for frequent uploads of remixes, freestyles & hit tracks.
07) Ripparachie - Pokemon Go (14 Wks, Pk #01)
Album: No Shade
Notes: Ripparachie scores his second number one with the phenomenon Pokemon Go. Ripparachie has been known to take on politics, creating diss tracks that went viral: one against VP-Elect Mike Pence in his hometown of Indiana, the other at President Elect Donald Trump. Ripparachie’s move to Atlanta has him performing in the Atlanta area, working hard on his new Album set to be released. Called eNo Shade, it is sure to pump out more Top 40 Hits.
06) The Internet - Special Affair (20 Wks, Last #03, Pk #01)
Album: Ego Death
Notes: The Internet, with front woman Syd Da Kid, took the industry by storm with the Grammy Nominated Sultry R&B/HipHop Album Ego Death. The Internet went on a World Tour in 2016, traveling from Japan, Australia, London & Canada. They are currently on tour in Iceland. Ego Death was also nominated for a BET Award this year, and they were featured at SXSW interviewed by Pharrell on his Beats One Radio Show.
05) BSlade ft Omega Mythologist - Black Blood (16 Wks, Pk #01)
Mixtape: "The Black Belt"
Notes: BSlade, since shedding his Tonex skin, has not stoped acting, singing, producing & creating. He broke the internetwith his Black Blood track, at the height of the Presidential Election & Black Lives Matter movement. Black Blood spoke to the soul of the movement. BSlade has released 2 Albums this year: Ferrari (Jan 2016) and The September Issue (Sept. 2016) A new album, The Black Belt is coming soon. BSlade released 2 albums last year: Delorean and Shade Smoke Treez. BSlade also hit the Broadway Stage in LA in the production of SCORSESE AMERICAN CRIME REQUIEM for a month run. He also has a movie coming out called I’m Done. BSlade leads all artists with 9 #1’s on the LGBT Urban Charts.
04) Kamau Kenyatte - 4 Am (30 Wks, Pk #01)
Album: World Domination
Notes: Kamau Kenyatte made history this year for being the first African-American Out Rapper on the cover of NEXT Magazine and the first artist to debut at #1 on the LGBT Urban Charts. Also smashing the SXSW stage for the first time, interviews with Obvious Magazine & Darnell Moore are just the begining for this young DC rapper. In Just 2 years, 2 albums he has 4 #1 hits.
03) Todrick Hall - Dumb (27 Wks, Pk #01)
Album: Straight Outta Oz
Notes: Todrick Hall slayed the music industry with his visual album/tour Straight Outta Oz, with fantastic visuals, hard beat productions & Todrick’s signature dynamic vocals resulted in one of the best albums of 2016. After the Straight Outta Oz tour and hitting the stage with Gwen Stephani at 2016 Grammys, Hall starred in the Broadway Stage play Kinky Boats to rave reviews. Look forward to what’s new from Todrick in 2017. Todrick Hall Currently Has 3 #1's
02) Frank Ocean ft Beyonce - Pink + White (15 Wks, Pk #01)
Album: Blond
Notes: Ocean recently released two albums: Endless, to release himself from Def Jam contract and Blond, released on his own label Boys Don’t Cry. After debuting Pink + White at #1 and staying there for a record four weeks in a row, Frank Ocean did not submit his music to the Grammys in a form of protest on the lack of representation of independent artists. This is Frank Ocean’s first #1.
01) Young MA - Ooouuu (33 Wks, Pk #01)
Single:
Notes: Young MA not only has 5 #1’s this year (Oh My Gawd, Karma Krys, Ooouu & Quiet Storm, EAT Freestyle), her song Ooouuu became the Song Of The Year, being played all over the world on heavy rotations, also spawning hundreds of remixes & freestyles, some by Grammy nominated artists including Remy Ma, Nicki Minaj & 50 Cent. Young MA also scored an Apple Beats commercial, and was also the first out lesbian to perform at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Young MA was up for XXL Freshman of the Year cover. While missing the cover and turning down a role on Empire, didn’t slow down her career. Selling out venues like Webster Hall with just her name on the bill is not the easiest thing to do for an out lesbian rapper. Young MA proved this year that while hip-hop might be slow in opening the door to LGBT Artist, she is going to push it open and make room for others to succeed behind her. Young MA is bracing for the release of a new album that will sure to dominate the charts.